Narrative:

It was a beginning of a routine scheduled flight, when I was finishing up weight and balance and takeoff performance paperwork and the captain was in the process of #1 engine start. Suddenly he saw the engine off signal which made me look up, since it was a departure from a normal operating procedure. I asked about it and received an answer that a ramp agent was signaling to shut down #1 engine. Evidently another ramp agent was behind the engine still securing the cargo door. About 15 seconds later another start clearance was given. No injuries or damage occurred. Nevertheless the situation was potentially hazardous. In my opinion the cause was inadequate or miscom between ground crew members. The one giving the first start clearance obviously was not aware of where the other agents were and what they were doing. To avoid similar sits in the future, good training is very important as well as adhering to sops. I also think that workload, inadequate staffing and working conditions have an effect on sits of this nature.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 CAPT BEGINS ENG START WHEN CLRED. ANOTHER AGENT IS IN PROCESS OF CLOSING DOOR BEHIND #1 ENG. ENG START IS STOPPED BY GND CREW UNTIL DOOR IS CLOSED AND AGENT IS AWAY FROM ACFT.

Narrative: IT WAS A BEGINNING OF A ROUTINE SCHEDULED FLT, WHEN I WAS FINISHING UP WT AND BAL AND TKOF PERFORMANCE PAPERWORK AND THE CAPT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF #1 ENG START. SUDDENLY HE SAW THE ENG OFF SIGNAL WHICH MADE ME LOOK UP, SINCE IT WAS A DEP FROM A NORMAL OPERATING PROC. I ASKED ABOUT IT AND RECEIVED AN ANSWER THAT A RAMP AGENT WAS SIGNALING TO SHUT DOWN #1 ENG. EVIDENTLY ANOTHER RAMP AGENT WAS BEHIND THE ENG STILL SECURING THE CARGO DOOR. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER ANOTHER START CLRNC WAS GIVEN. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE OCCURRED. NEVERTHELESS THE SIT WAS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. IN MY OPINION THE CAUSE WAS INADEQUATE OR MISCOM BTWN GND CREW MEMBERS. THE ONE GIVING THE FIRST START CLRNC OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT AWARE OF WHERE THE OTHER AGENTS WERE AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING. TO AVOID SIMILAR SITS IN THE FUTURE, GOOD TRAINING IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL AS ADHERING TO SOPS. I ALSO THINK THAT WORKLOAD, INADEQUATE STAFFING AND WORKING CONDITIONS HAVE AN EFFECT ON SITS OF THIS NATURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.